1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to an edge type LCD device in which a light source unit including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) is disposed at a lateral side of a light guide panel.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Active matrix type LCD devices use a thin film transistor as a switching element to display a moving image. The LCD devices are applied to a portable information device, office equipment, computer or the like as a display device, and also applied to a television.
Since the LCD devices cannot self-emit light, the LCD devices include a backlight unit disposed under a liquid crystal panel and display an image by using a light emitted from the backlight unit.
The LCD devices may be divided into an edge type and a direct type according to a scheme of the arrangement of a light source.
FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustrating a rear surface of a related art edge type LCD device and FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a detailed perspective view illustrating a portion A of FIG. 1A and illustrates a case top 12, in which a slide hole cover 18 covering a slide hole 19 of the LCD device shown in FIG. 1A is formed.
In the edge type LCD devices, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, a light source 33 is disposed at a lateral side of a light guide panel 23 which is disposed under a liquid crystal panel 21. The edge type LCD devices replace side light emitted from the light source 33 into flat light by using the light guide panel 23, and irradiates the flat light on the liquid crystal panel 21. Therefore, the edge type LCD devices may decrease a thickness of the LCD devices. In FIG. 1B, a reference numeral ‘24’ is a reflective plate adhered to a bottom of the light guide panel 23.
In the related art LCD device, a board including a Light Emitting Diode (LED) is adhered to a cover bottom for cooling of the LED. Therefore, it is impossible to replace the board. That is, if a life of the LED is finished, a back light unit including the LED has to be replaced.
However, because a LCD device applied to a game machine in an amusement arcade has to be continuously used with the light source being turned on for 24 hours, a life of a LED of the LCD device is shorter than that of a general LCD device. Therefore, in the LCD device applied to the game machine, a LED assembly 30, comprising a LED 33, a board 32 supporting the LED 33 and a support 31 in which the board is adhered, is interchangeably mounted inside a guide panel 16 and a cover bottom 11.
In the related art LCD device including the interchangeable LED assembly 30, as shown in FIG. 1C, a slide hole 19, through which the LED assembly 30 may be replaced, is covered by a slide hole cover 18 formed in a case top 12.
Therefore, when the LED 33 is replaced, after the case top 12 is removed, the LED assembly 30 has to be replaced. This makes a process of the replace inconvenient and a time of the replace long. In FIG. 1C, a reference numeral ‘17’ denotes a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) connected to the board 32 of the LED assembly 30. The FPC electrically connects a main board to the LED assembly 30.
Also, in the related art LCD device, when the LED 33 is replaced, the case top 12 has to be necessarily removed. Therefore, a process of the replace is inefficient, a shape of the case top 12 may be easily replaced in the process of the replace and foreign matter may be inputted to the inside of the guide panel 16 or the cover bottom 11 in the process of the replace to cause a defect of the LCD device.
That is, in the related art LCD device in which the LED assembly 30 is interchangeable, the LED assembly 30 is slidingly inserted into the inside of the guide panel 16 or the cover bottom 11 to be assembled. Because the slide hole 19, through which the LED assembly 30 is slidingly inserted, is covered by the case top 12, when the LED assembly 30 is replaced, the case top 12 has to be removed.
Also, to solve the above-described limitation, a method of removing the slide hole cover 18, which is formed in the case top 12 and covers the slide hole, is proposed. However, in this case, light leakage may be generated through the slide hole 19 and foreign matter may come to the inside of the guide panel 18 or the cover bottom 11 to cause a defect of the LCD device. Therefore, effectively it is difficult to remove the slide hole cover 18.